Siege of Mostar

The Siege of Mostar (April 1992-April 1994) was a battle of the Bosnian War. Mostar was the site of a three-way battle between Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian forces until April 1994, when it became a part of the Bosniak-Croat Federation.

On 3 March 1992, Alija Izetbegovic declared the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia immediately recognized the new country. On 14 March, there was gunfire near the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) barracks, and the Croats set up barricades in the city and began to resist the JNA occupiers. The Croatian Defense Council (HVO) and the Bosnian ARBiH army defended Mostar from the Republika Srpska's forces, and it ended in June 1992 after the success of Operation Jackal. As a result of the first siege, 90,000 residents fled, and numerous religious buildings, cultural institutions, and bridges were damaged or destroyed. Between June 1993 and April 1994, he HVO besieged Bosniak-concentrated East Mostar, resulting in the deathsof numerous civilians, a cutoff of humanitarian aid, damage or destruction of ten mosques, and the blowing up of the historic Stari Most bridge. Hostilities ended in March 1994 with the establishment of the Croat-Bosniak Federation.